Source: World Food Programme
Country: Swaziland
Highlights
- In June, as part of the drought emergency response, WFP assisted 77,147 highly food-insecure people (reaching 99% of the planned target for the month). WFP provided life-saving support with 1,021 mt of cereal, pulses and oil through the IR-EMOP 200954. This operation ended 30 June and was taken over by EMOP 200974.
- WFP is facing considerable funding shortfalls under both Development Projects. These projects provide assistance to the most vulnerable people in the country: people living with HIV/TB and orphans and vulnerable children. These groups are particularly exposed to the negative effects of the El Niño-related drought.
Operational Updates
- Drought and Food Security: Swaziland is one of the countries in the region hardest hit by two years of successive drought, most recently as a result of the El Niño phenomenon. This has contributed to an increasingly vulnerable situation, with increasing food insecurity affecting over 30 percent of the Swazi population. Food stocks are being depleted and water shortage are emerging. Households are resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, including reducing the amount of food they eat, borrowing food, and eating less preferred food. In response to the situation, the Government of Swaziland declared a state of emergency in February 2016 and published the National Emergency Response Mitigation and Adaptation Plan.
- In June, as part of the emergency response, WFP assisted 77,147 drought affected people with its first cycle of emergency food distributions. From the next cycle, WFP will scale up its assistance to 100,000 drought affected people in the most severely affected areas of the country. In addition, the Government of Swaziland is providing assistance to 151,719 drought-affected people. The Emergency Operation (EMOP) 200974 will support 100,000 people with in-kind food assistance, and an additional 50,000 people with cash-based transfers at almost half of the 350,000 in need of assistance in the most affected areas.
- HIV and Nutrition: WFP is in discussions with the Ministry of Health to advocate for government and donor contributions to the nutrition assessment, counselling and support programme for HIV and TB patients. A comprehensive joint health and nutrition assessment reveals an increase in patients defaulting from antiretroviral therapy (12 percent) and treatment for TB (29 percent) from 2014 to 2015, and less adherence to HIV and TB treatment.
- Social protection for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: In light of the continued needs related to drought conditions, WFP is looking for funding to continue assistance. Moving forward, WFP will shift its engagement from providing food assistance through NCPs to support the Government of Swaziland to strengthen social protection systems.